The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 8:39 pm MDT (02:39 UTC)

EL Paso International to St. Louis Lambert International ELP → STL

887 nautical miles (1,020 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 058°, about 050° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ELP is VFR, wind from the west (280°) at 6 knots; STL is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 11 knots. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 4 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words

Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of

  • SIGMET 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 80 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    CO NM
    FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.

A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from ELP.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • A320 at 35,000 ft, 6 nm southeast, 6:43 pm MDT (00:43 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZFW47. 319 nm along the route, 6 nm southeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    CDS UA /OV CDS270030/TM 0043/FL350/TP A320/TB LGT CHOP/RM ZFW47
    Report
    a routine report filed through CDS
    Where
    30 nm west (270°) of CDS
    Time
    00:43 UTC
    Height
    at 35,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A320
    Turbulence
    light chop
    Remarks
    ZFW47

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed

The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 10 forecast points nearest it (ELP, ROW, LBB, AMA, GAG, OKC, TUL, SGF, COU, STL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft220° at 30 kt−28 kt18 °C148 kt6 h3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)
7,500 ft230° at 24 kt−23 kt15 °C143 kt6 h 12 min3:51 am CDT (08:51 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 19 kt−19 kt12 °C139 kt6 h 23 min4:02 am CDT (09:02 UTC)
11,500 ft240° at 18 kt−18 kt8 °C138 kt6 h 26 min4:05 am CDT (09:05 UTC)
13,500 ft240° at 20 kt−20 kt4 °C140 kt6 h 20 min3:59 am CDT (08:59 UTC)
15,500 ft240° at 22 kt−22 kt0 °C142 kt6 h 15 min3:54 am CDT (08:54 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 25 kt−25 kt-5 °C145 kt6 h 07 min3:46 am CDT (08:46 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 25 kt−26 kt-6 °C146 kt6 h 05 min3:44 am CDT (08:44 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 35 kt−35 kt-17 °C155 kt5 h 43 min3:22 am CDT (08:22 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 50 kt−50 kt-29 °C170 kt5 h 13 min2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340260° at 51 kt−48 kt-39 °C168 kt5 h 17 min2:56 am CDT (07:56 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390270° at 48 kt−42 kt-50 °C162 kt5 h 29 min3:08 am CDT (08:08 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.

The forecast points as issued
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
ELPused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line290/17210/11 13°200/18 5°220/46 -6°230/64 -14°230/63 -27°240/55 -37°240/44 -48°
ROWused from 50 nm out; 58 nm from the line190/33210/27 14°220/28 6°230/36 -6°230/56 -15°230/63 -27°250/59 -37°260/57 -49°
LBBused from 199 nm out; 39 nm from the line200/36 18°220/19 15°240/20 8°230/24 -4°240/37 -16°250/57 -28°250/51 -38°270/47 -50°
AMAused from 299 nm out; 57 nm from the line210/38230/29 14°240/29 7°220/27 -5°240/37 -18°240/66 -28°250/59 -37°260/47 -49°
GAGused from 349 nm out; 79 nm from the line220/40 19°230/28 14°240/23 8°230/21 -6°240/31 -19°250/66 -29°260/58 -38°260/47 -49°
OKCused from 448 nm out; 36 nm from the line200/44230/32 18°240/13 15°240/10 9°240/20 -5°250/27 -16°260/47 -28°270/48 -39°270/45 -50°
TULused from 548 nm out; 30 nm from the line210/37240/29 17°260/15 14°260/11 7°240/22 -6°250/29 -16°270/45 -29°270/47 -40°280/44 -50°
SGFused from 647 nm out; 53 nm from the line230/33230/28 15°250/20 13°240/18 7°250/20 -6°250/24 -17°280/42 -31°280/49 -40°290/46 -51°
COUused from 747 nm out; 54 nm from the line230/31230/30 15°260/16 11°270/14 6°260/24 -6°270/27 -18°270/37 -32°280/49 -41°290/56 -51°
STLused from 847 nm out; 20 nm from the line250/24250/24 16°260/23 9°270/16 6°260/25 -6°270/29 -19°290/34 -33°290/48 -41°290/54 -51°

The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
ELP El Paso, TX departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet, a broken layer at 12,000 feet, a broken layer at 21,000 feet from the west (280°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 12,000 ft 3,961 ft 7:51 pm MDT (01:51 UTC)
ATS Artesia, NM 120 nm out, 5 nm west of the line VFR from the south-southeast (150°) at 13 knots 10+ mi none 3,544 ft 02:35 UTC
LBB Lubbock, TX 259 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the south (170°) at 15 knots 10+ mi none 3,282 ft 01:53 UTC
PVW Plainview, TX 279 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 10 knots 10+ mi none 3,374 ft 02:15 UTC
CSM Burns Flat, OK 418 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 13 knots 10+ mi none 1,922 ft 01:53 UTC
SWO Stillwater, OK 528 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR Weather: light rain from the south (170°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20 10+ mi none 1,000 ft 01:53 UTC
BVO Bartlesville, OK 598 nm out, 6 nm west of the line VFR from the south (190°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 716 ft 01:53 UTC
JLN Joplin, MO 667 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 977 ft 01:53 UTC
TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO 787 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 1,159 ft 01:55 UTC
FYG Washington, MO 857 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line VFR Weather: haze calm 6 mi none 487 ft 02:15 UTC
STL St Louis, MO destination VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the south-southeast (150°) at 11 knots 10+ mi none 617 ft 8:51 pm CDT (01:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 3,961 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At STL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for STL
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for ELP, the departure
  • From Sun 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • At times between Sun 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC) and 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind variable at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility 4 miles, rain showers

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at ELP 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC), at STL 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at STL is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC)).

Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.

Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads

Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: EL Paso International, St. Louis Lambert International.